Friday 13 September 2013 08.39 EDT
First published on Friday 13 September 2013 08.39 EDT

An American aviator who was trying to cross the Atlantic suspended from 370 helium-filled balloons has had to abandon his effort, just 12 hours and about 350 miles into the trip.

Jonathan Trappe landed in a remote part of Newfoundland, Canada, on Thursday night after putting a message on his Facebook page reading: "Hmm this doesn't look like France."

He was foiled by what his team have described as a technical issue after his capsule lifted off in heavy fog in Caribou, Maine, in the US and made its way over the Canadian border and across the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

He then reported a "quiet sky … travelling at over 50mph in my little yellow rowboat". But after joking about not having arrived at one of his possible European destinations, he later reported that he had landed safely, and said: "I put the exposure canopy up on the boat. Will stay here for the night."

Trappe, 39, a seasoned cluster balloonist who is the first person to have crossed both the Alps and the Channel by this method, had hoped to make the crossing of up to 2,500 miles in three to six days. The IT project manager from Raleigh, North Carolina, had suggested before embarking on the flight that he could land anywhere between Iceland and Morocco depending on the weather. He had been planning to "catch those transatlantic winds and ride them across like a conveyor belt".

Kevin Knapp, speaking from the command centre overseeing Trappe's flight, told Aero News Network the cluster balloon was never able to achieve a stable altitude and developed a yo-yo effect – rapid descents, with the aircraft hitting the surface of the water, followed by rapid ascents to 21,000ft or more.

Knapp told other news outlets: "I can confirm that Jonathan was forced to abandon the planned flight at around 18.30 EST. Thankfully he is safe and well and currently making preparations to get home.

"While disappointing that he had to cut his quest across the Atlantic short, I know Jonathan thanks everyone for their support and encouragement."